We just finished taping a show on the pursuit of lifelong dreams and overcoming obstacles.  Our guest host talked about her journey from Lithuania to America, that she made alone when she was just eighteen years old.  Her path wasn’t easy; she will tell you she was young and a bit naïve with dreams of a life in a new country, that in her eyes, held the potential for independence, increased opportunity, education & ultimately the chance to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a dentist.

As she shared her story, I couldn’t help but wonder how many of us would be so brave as to leave the comfort of our families and travel alone to a new country in pursuit of our dreams?  Each ‘no’ that came her way (and there were quite a few) she brushed off, picked herself back up and found a way to redirect, improve, & overcome.  How many doors being slammed into your face are you willing to take before you give up and accept the entrance to your dreams as being closed?  Our guests’ journey is an inspiring story and a reminder not to let our fears or the obstacles put in our path stand in the way of our dreams.

There are many challenges to be faced in the pursuit of our greatest life.  We must first overcome years of conditioning that teach us to avoid unpleasant feelings because if the dream is big enough it will be difficult to obtain, the journey uncomfortable and should scare you.  I’ve learned over the years that for me, the more fear associated with the pursuit, the greater the reward.  But even as I intellectually know this to be true and have experience after experience confirming its validity, I am still at times stopped in my tracks as I assess the leap before me, and question whether I should jump.

What stops you from taking the leap?  Is it the degree of difficulty?  Fear of failure?  The change that it requires.  The level of focus or the amount of time it takes to accomplish?

Maybe you let others dictate the level to which you even allow yourself to dream.  I know I’ve certainly found myself stuck in the trenches of feeling the need for the approval of others before I deem myself worthy or ready.

Waiting for that moment when you feel like you have it all figure out before you act can be interminable.  Tying your dreams up in what other people think about them definitely can set you up for disappointment, as you suddenly find yourself forgoing your personal passions, editing the size and scope of the dream, and potentially giving up altogether on the things that matter most to you, in order to keep others happy and avoid their disappointment or disapproval.  When we release the need to please, to be perfect, to have it all figured out before we make that first big leap, we can free ourselves of the binds that hold us back.  Easier said than done…I know.

I recently jumped off a huge cliff, quit a well-paying job, and ventured out on my own to build my big best life.  It hasn’t been easy.  It has required a ton of changes and sacrifices along the way.  I don’t sleep much these days, as I’ve learned to do new things along the way like build a website, production, editing, advertising, etc.  But if I had waited until all this knowledge had already been in place, I know I would still be waiting.  Sometimes you must throw yourself into the deep end and trust that you will learn to swim.

As my bank account goes in and out of the red and the stress of financial failure looms like a dark cloud over my head, it takes courage to trust that everything will be okay.   But hey, I haven’t drowned yet, and I know from experience, that the end rewards will be grand because I’ve never been so scared in my life!

A big thanks to all of the trailblazers out there like our recent guest host on the show, who have cleared the path, and showing us a glimpse of all that is possible.

Be bold, be brave, go big with your dreams and don’t wait…now is the perfect time, the only time, so leap!